Gov. Bill Ritter has two weeks to name one of three nominees announced by a commission Thursday to replace a retiring state appeals court judge.

The nominees — state Judge Angela Arkin, appellate attorney Nancy Lichtenstein and federal court law clerk David Richman — were selected by a state commission during meetings in Denver this week.

One will replace Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Jose Marquez, who plans to retire at the end of the month.

• Arkin, a state district judge since September 2002, has handled Douglas County domestic relations, probate and mental-health cases, and Elbert county cases in those same areas, as well as criminal, civil and juvenile matters. She worked previously as an Arapahoe County District Court magistrate and as a litigator and assistant district attorney in Georgia. She earned a law degree in 1983 from Georgia’s Emory University and moved to Colorado in 1993 to practice family law.

• Lichtenstein works as an appellate attorney for the state public defender. She grew up in Denver and earned a law degree at the University of Denver after graduating from Northwestern University. She has practiced law for 20 years as a trial and appellate lawyer. In 2002, she served on a state legislative subcommittee on sentencing. She also was vice president of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and has written on Colorado criminal practices and procedures. She has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado law school.

• Richman served since 2003 as a career law clerk for U.S. District Judge Phillip Figa until Figa died Jan. 5. A 1975 graduate of Harvard law school, Richman worked as a law clerk for a Denver federal appeals court judge before becoming staff attorney for the Denver regional office of the Federal Trade Commission. Richman also has worked in private practice, primarily in commercial business litigation.

Set up under the state constitution, the Colorado Court of Appeals consists of 19 judges retained by voters to serve eight-year terms. State appeals judges are paid $124,089 a year.

Under Colorado’s constitution, Ritter has 15 days from March 12 to appoint a replacement. Court officials said comments on nominees may be sent via e-mail (judicial.appointments @state.co.us) to the governor.

Bruce Finley covers environment issues, the land air and water struggles shaping Colorado and the West. Finley grew up in Colorado, graduated from Stanford, then earned masters degrees in international relations as a Fulbright scholar in Britain and in journalism at Northwestern. He is also a lawyer and previously handled international news with on-site reporting in 40 countries.

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